Monday, November 30, 2009

Virtual Advent Retreat 2009

A meditation on the readings for Advent 2C offered by Mompriest:

Entering the Advent journey is an invitation to travel, intentionally, into the wilderness – the dark night of the soul. One hopes that the Church guides this journey offering opportunities to pray, ponder, stirred up, conflicted. John, the desert prophet, proclaims the burning chaff, the background to our Christmas shopping. Advent sings of incongruous images - new birth and end of life, the Alpha and the Omega, of oppression and freedom, of despair and ultimately of hope. The path is uneven and twisted, spiraling in to the depths of our being, certain we are lost. And then, quietly, the Spirit of God calls to us, “Awake, arise, my love, my dear one.” The early morning desert sun illuminates the way - through the valley to Jordan’s bank - our God is near. Awake and hearken, let each heart prepare a place for the Word to break in, a child to come anew, whispering peace into you and me. Come, our long expected One, come.

Within in our darkest night
A starless chill
Shudders
Calling, “Emmanuel
Where
Oh where, are you?”

Within our deepest soul
Astounding one
Voice
Cries in the wilderness
“Prepare
the way of the Lord!”

Within our darkest night
A still small spark
Kindled
Hark! The glad sound calls out
“Sleepers
Awake!” Jerusalem

Dispelled, every valley filled,
every
mountain low, the rough made
smooth
A light, a light bathes bright

Discard the garment, sorrow
afflicted.
Arise! Put on the robe
Adorned
with love and mercy

Questions to ponder:

John Newton, the author of Amazing Grace, describes our spiritual journey as a process of moving from desire for God, to conflict with God, to contemplation and peace with God. (Go here for more on this idea.) Many consider this process to be a spiral not linear. Based on these three "states" where are you in your faith journey?

Does the mystery of Advent invite you into deeper reflection on your relationship with God?

Do you have a meditation of your own you'd like to share with us today?

Do you have an Advent resources you'd like share?

Leave comments or link us back to your blog and join us in this virtual retreat!

You can find the readings for Advent 2C: here
Photos from the personal collection of Mompriest

Additional meditations will appear throughout the day by Songbird and Juniper.

mompriest, I resonate with the spiral, but I must admit I wish I would arrive somewhere! This particular Advent feels out-of-sorts to me, in part because I'm in a new setting and not the person guiding the message for the season. It's a transition year in many ways, a year where I have a sense of what I'm hoping for, but no real idea where I will debark.

two men in the church were i'm interim stood at the back talking of how christmas time was tough for them. losses remembered, disappointed hopes, memories of ... both almost began to cry. there is the time for thinking and the time for pausing and breathing but we don't often do so we'd rather be busy...and busy can be a 4 letter word

I've been free-associating while reading the Daily Office lessons, and noting when something resonates with me as someone living where I do. I've started posting these admittedly un-crafted thoughts on my blog, http://lutheranchiklworddiary.blogspot.com.